Golf putter including spherical head with mirror reflecting surface

ABSTRACT

A putter for use to improve skill in putting a golf ball is provided with a ball engaging head which presents a spherical face to engage the ball. This face has a reflecting mirror surface in which the user of the putter can see the image of a ball while he grasps the putter handle. Within the reflecting area, and positioned in the area of the reflecting surface visible to the user grasping the putter, there is an indicator mark contrasting with the mirror surface so as to be readily visible.

United States Patent Liotta [54] GOLF PUTTER INCLUDING SPHERICAL HEAD WITH MIRROR REFLECTING SURFACE [72] Inventor: Alfonso L. Liotta, Box 2066, College Station, Pullman, Wash. 99l63 [22] Filed: Jan. 21, 1971 21] Appl. No.: 108,336

[52] US. Cl. ..273/l83 D, 273/l75, 273/186 A, 273/193 R, 273/186 E [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 69/36 [58] Field of Search ..273/l63, 164,186, 193, 194, 273/183, 175

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ehmke ..273/l63 R Oct. 24, 1972 2,463,798 3/1949 Paisley ..273/ 163 R Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo AttorneyWells, St. John & Roberts [57] ABSTRACT A putter for use to improve skill in putting a golf ball is provided with a ball engaging head which presents a spherical face to engage the ball. This face has a reflecting mirror surface in which the user of the putter can see the image of a ball while he grasps the putter handle. Within the reflecting area, and positioned in the area of the reflecting surface visible to the user grasping the putter, there is an indicator mark contrasting with the mirror surface so as to be readily visible.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures GOLF PUTTER INCLUDING SPHERICAL HEAD WITH MIRROR REFLECTING SURFACE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of a practice putter with a spherical head for engaging the golf ball is known. This applicant has sold such devices for several years. Such a putter falls considerably short in giving the golfer the training he needs in concentrating upon the accuracy of the stroke direction.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a putter in which the striking surface of the putter head is a curved convex surface curving upwardly toward the handle and that is a mirror capable of reflecting an image of a golf ball placed in front of the mirror surface in the same direction that the shaft of the putter extends together with a visible indicating spot on the mirror surface spaced outward from the putter shaft and above the peripheral point edge of the mirror surface. With such a striking surface the user of the putter can see the ball image expanding as he moves the club head to the ball and can see the position of the indicating mark in relation to the image.

More specifically, it is a purpose of this invention to provide a putter head with a striking face of spherical contour to engage the golf ball which has a reflecting surface sloping upwardly and toward the club shaft so as to reflect an image of a golf ball placed in front of the head upward in front of the shaft.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of the practice putter;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the putter showing the putter shaft in section and showing the ball and its image on the mirror surface of the putter head;

FIG. 3 is a front face view of the putter head; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the putter head on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The device shown is a golf club which is usually referred to as a putter. The putter has a handle 1, a shaft 2 and a head 3. In the present invention the handie 1 and shaft 2 are merely shown as conventional since the present invention is in the head 3. The head 3 has a curved convex striking surface 3a which is intended to strike a golf ball B and drive it in the desired direction. It is evident, as proven in the use of spherical putter heads for practice, that if the front point of the head does strike the ball to the right or left of the center line from the head to the ball, the convex surfaces will cause more deflection of the ball to the left or right of this center line than a flat face. The desired stroke is one which will propel the ball along the projected center line. The golfer then has only to move the club head center along the center line with the proper force to reach a cup which is on the projected center line. Prior to this invention, I have not known of any putter having means by which the golfer can have a specific visual indication of whether the club is traveling along the center line as it approaches the ball.

In this putter the front surface 3a is made as a mirror and the surface area above the horizontal center plane of the head to the shaft 2 is a part of the mirrors surface so that an image 4 of the ball B is reflected upwardly to the eyes of the golfer. On this mirror surface an indicator mark 5 is provided where it will be visible within the border of the image area 4 if the ball is not on the projected center line from the shaft 2 through the indicator 5. This gives the golfer a picture of the position of the club head with respect to the ball from the start of the putting stroke up to the instant of contact of the head with the ball.

It is not necessary that the surface of the club head behind the shaft 2 be a mirror surface or that it be a spherical surface. A spherical reflecting surface in the mirror area is best obtained by making the whole club head spherical as by casting a head 3 of the desired weight then radially boring the head 3 as indicated at 6 to receive the shaft 2 and then providing the curved mirror surface 3a. This mirror surface 3a can be made in several ways. For example, the spherical head 3, if made of the right material such as a stainless steel, can be polished to such a degree of smoothness as to act as a mirror. Also the head 3 may have a plating thereon which gives the mirror surface 3a.

The indicator mark 5 is shown as an indentation or recess in the spherical head 3. It may have a filler 5a therein suitably made to contrast with the ball image 4. This can be done by making the filler of a contrasting color to that of the ball or merely of a non-reflecting material. By making the head spherical with a mirror surface, the production of the putter is greatly simplified. Also, the golfer can test his control by using the back face which has no indicator mark on it.

It is believed that the nature and advantage of this invention will be clear from the foregoing description. The following claims are intended to define this invention.

1. A golf putter having a shaft provided with a handle at one end and a club head at the other end for striking a spherical golf ball to direct the golf ball towards a target, comprising:

said head having a spherical front surface extending in a spherical curve from a front of the head to sides and top of the head for engaging a spherical golf ball at a point impact on the spherical front surface;

said spherical front surface having a mirror-finish to reflect a symmetrical image of the golf ball upward into the view of the user with the impact point automatically lying in a vertical plane symmetrically intersecting the image;

a visible contrasting indicator mark on the front surface for enabling the user to manipulate the putter to align the mark in the vertical plane to assist the user while swinging the putter head to maintain the path of the putter head in the vertical plane to thereby direct the golf ball in a straight line of the vertical plane. 

1. A golf putter having a shaft provided with a handle at one end and a club head at the other end for striking a spherical golf ball to direct the golf ball towards a target, comprising: said head having a spherical front surface extending in a spherical curve from a front of the head to sides and top of the head for engaging a spherical golf ball at a point impact on the spherical front surface; said spherical front surface having a mirror-finish to reflect a symmetrical image of the golf ball upward into the view of the user with the impact point automatically lying in a vertical plane symmetrically intersecting the image; a visible contrasting indicator mark on the front surface for enabling the user to manipulate the putter to align the mark in the vertical plane to assist the user while swinging the putter head to maintain the path of the putter head in the vertical plane to thereby direct the golf ball in a straight line of the vertical plane. 